Loaded weekend as Kigali nightlife returns to shape
Friday, November 04, 2022
South African Amapiano duo, Bandile and Banele Mbere, better known as the Major League DJz during a show at BK Arena on November 4. Dan Gatsinzi

For the past few years, Covid had made it complicated — or outright impossible — to party, club or even hangout for concerts. Well, the dark days are gone and now, on a much large-scale, nightlife events are becoming more common.

Some people look at nightlife as a luxury, but it’s so important to the greater culture any city.

Nightlife is a place where underground art scenes can find an audience. It’s a place where performers can make ends meet. It offers a lot of ways for people to make a living and to share and to connect and find community.

In March 2020, everything went dark. You could say that about any industry, but in nightlife, it was more desolate than other industries because when it came to fields that were centered on pleasure, reopening felt a lot more impossible.

Nightlife was on the back burner — and rightfully so. At the same time, a lot of people in the industry, from part-time bartenders to people who work sound systems at nightclubs, had a really rough time for basically 15 months.

There was a time when several concerts could be cancelled in a day, clubs closed. Pubs were turning into coffee show.

Today, tides have changed, after only a few months since clubs and concerts got a green light to return, Kigali’s nightlife is back on its feet and event organisers are not giving us time to rest. We can finally say that Kigali’s nightlife is back and better. Who thought that one weekend in Kigali could have three mega shows?

Tonight being the second Friday of the month means that people are ready to go out and event organizers got partygoers covered. Wondering where to be with friends and family this weekend? We got you.

Amapiano To The World with Major League DJz and DJ Marnaud

The first Amapiano Mega show has finally come to Kigali and today is D-day. South African Amapiano duo, Bandile and Banele Mbere, better known as the Major League DJz, are already in town and ready to light up the 17th Avenue popup nightclub, built in BK Arena.

The twin brothers will jock the disks along with famous local DJ Marnaud and they have promised to give kigalians the best party since lockdown.

It will be Amapiano’s second big show after the second edition of Intore Sunday that was headlined by the most famous female amapiano disc jockey, Uncle Waffles, in May 2022.

Entrance to the show is at Rwf20, 000 early birds, exclusive to BK Arena Prepaid Card holders, and Rwf30, 000 with three free Heinekens.

Intore Sundays with DJ Maphorisa

South African DJ and producer, DJ Maphorisa, who is among the pioneers of the Amapiano genre is coming to Kigali for the next edition of Intore Sundays to stage this Sunday.

Intore Sundays is one of the most popular events born out of the pandemic, with Kigali’s middle class and expatriate community embracing it in equal measure.

Maphorisa AKA Phori will be the second South African DJ to headline the outdoor show after Uncle Waffles. Folly Focus was the main headliner of its inauguration early this year.

The event which attracts many youth and used for both entertainment and networking platforms will also see some dopest DJs in town such as Toxxyk, Tyga, Marnaud and others spin the decks.

Tickets to the show are already available at Rwf20, 000 per person and Rwf 300, 000 per section of six. The event will take place at Mundi Center (Rwandex) and revelers will be allowed to bring food and beverages of their own choice.

With three concerts in one weekend all celebrating one genre, we can finally agree that Amapiano is Kigali’s favorite genre and that Kigali has adopted life of the party lifestyle.